The Mayo Clinic: Faith-Hope-Science

Ken Burns combines a history lesson with contemporary testimonials in this PBS-aired documentary about the world-famous medical center in Rochester, MN, which traces its roots back to humble beginnings in 1883 when a tornado struck the area. Dr. William Worrall Mayo led the relief effort along with his doctor sons Will and Charlie, enlisting Sister Mary Alfred Moes, Mother Superior of the local Franciscan community, to open rooms in her convent to patients. Moes then proposed that they join forces to found a hospital, which a vision told her would become renowned throughout the world. Using a wide range of archival materials—including footage of a visit by President Franklin Roosevelt—Burns and co-directors Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers follow the history of the facility over the generations, with stars like Tom Hanks voicing the words of principal players while Peter Coyote serves as general narrator. Emphasis is placed on the technological advances that the Mayo Clinic has spearheaded over the decades, as well as the intensely collaborative ethos of its physicians, who work on salary. Interspersed with the historical narrative is praise from patients. Some are famous—the Dalai Lama, Tom Brokaw, the late John McCain—while others have unusual stories, including a father who brought his toddler daughter in for treatment of a brain tumor with proton-beam therapy, and a violinist whose hand tremor is resolved through experimental brain stimulation that he controls with a phone-sized device (the film also emphasizes that miraculous cures are, of course, not always achieved). Extras include deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes music video. Offering a skillful tribute to a remarkable institution, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)